CHRIS CUOMO WITH A PROVACATIVE LOOK AT KIDS AND BULLYING ON “20/20”

October 14, 2010

By COORDINATOR

And: You Live With What?

Special Edition of “20/20” Airs Friday, October 15, 9 pm ET on ABC

According to The National Education Association, 160,000 kids won’t go to school on any given day for fear of being bullied. Whether the child is gay, overweight, pretty or just plain different, bullying has become an epidemic in this country, and more kids are tragically choosing to take their own lives because they can’t take it anymore. Are schools not doing enough or are parents to blame? Chris Cuomo talks to families, kids, educators and lawmakers to find out what’s going on. He talks to the bullied and confronts the bullies. “20/20” also takes viewers inside the Alliance School – a no-hate, no-bully zone in Milwaukee, WI, the only middle school of its kind in the United States. “20/20” airs FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Plus: You live with what? Imagine living with a one ton bison or sharing a home with the world’s largest living rodent, the capybara. ABC News Correspondent John Berman reports on a surprising tale of two giant animals who are beloved family members, despite the fact that one, a one-ton bison named Wildthing, could kill, and the other, a capybara named Caplin Rous – the world’s largest rodent at 100 pounds – has razor sharp teeth. Wildthing has been best man - or in his case “best bison” - at his owners RC and Sherron Bridges wedding vow renewals, and is even allowed to come inside the family home for hours at a time (Wildthing is better behaved inside the house than the cowboy’s own children, RC says). Capybara Caplin chirps like a bird when he’s happy and even sleeps under the covers in his owner Melanie’s bed. Caplin’s life is well-documented: he has more than 3,500 Twitter followers and a Facebook page to boot. Fans around the world love this crazy-looking giant rodent… but don’t get on Caplin’s bad side – he holds a grudge!

“20/20” is anchored by Elizabeth Vargas and Chris Cuomo. David Sloan is executive producer.